Page 46 of Dauntless

“I don’t,” Dane told her gently. “I could never hate you. My father used you to hurt me. He uses everyone that comes into his life.”

“I didn’t use her. I love her,” Walter huffed fervently. “I love you too, son and your mother, even if she poisoned you against me.”

“Love?” Dane snarled, mocking him. “You don’t know what love is. You knew she was pregnant? Why didn’t you tell me or even the police when she went missing?”

“No, I didn’t know about the pregnancy in the beginning,” Walter answered sharply. “I wasn’t the only man she was having sex with. You’re not even open to hearing my side of the story. I had wanted to help her, but things didn’t go the way they were supposed to.”

“Walter, what happened to Angel?” Trish asked him.

He adjusted his collar “I don’t know. I had introduced her to a friend of mine. He took a liking to her and offered his place in Seattle for her to think about what she wanted to do with her pregnancy.”

“Angel said she wanted her baby,” Dane said. “It doesn’t sound like she needed to think about it.”

“She needed to,” Walter insisted coarsely. “I only found out later she had disappeared. My friend called and told me he lost her.”

Elliott was as confused as the rest of us. “I don’t understand why you were involved at all, Walter. Why would you help send Angel away with Dane’s child?”

“Because Melinda is my child,” Walter said. “Some guy named Simon sent me a DNA result that she’s mine. He then started blackmailing me.”

“You son of a bitch!” Dane exploded. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any lower. You knew I cared for Angel, I know she told you that I loved her, but that only made you more determined to have her. You got her pregnant and tried to talk her out of having her baby, but she wouldn’t do it. So, you took her away. He’s involved, Elliott. He needs to be arrested and charged.”

“Are you listening!?” Walter yelled at Dane. “It wasn’t me. I was being blackmailed. I was also working to find her privately on my own, but he kept moving her and asking for more money. He’s taken twenty million from me. Now I know you don’t care,” he droned on, his voice flat. “But I paid because I didn’t want you to hate me, son. I was trying to rebuild our relationship. I didn’t know you wouldn’t give up and move on. I was about to go to the police when he told me he gave her away to a man named Dimitri.”

“I killed Dimitri,” Angel blurted. “He wanted to laugh at Dane seeing me with… Walter’s baby. I gave him my pills he had me take that I saved. I put them in his drink and when he finished it, he didn’t move. He’s dead. I won.”

“Dimitri might not be dead,” Elliott said in a gentle tone. “We’re still looking for him. Since Walter seems to have a lot of contacts with those involved in your disappearance, he can tell us all about Dimitri and his whereabouts.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Walter barked. “And I don’t like what you’re inferring. I came here to clear up Melinda’s paternity for Dane, and to share that I’d been blackmailed to keep it all quiet, which I have done. Now it’s getting late. I can provide information about what I know in the morning. I only made the mistake of not coming forward because I was being blackmailed.”

“You can prove Melinda’s your daughter, Walter?” Trish asked him.

“Yes,” Walter answered. “I have the proof and will provide the medical reports. I know you’ve done a new test, but they will come back that Dane’s not her father. Melinda’s my child.”

“You claim to love me, and you did this to Angel and me,” Dane yelled at Walter. “All this time. Two and a half years, you let me search for her, and you knew what happened to her. You knew she was found, and for weeks you knew I thought Melinda was my child!” He got up and threw a lamp against the wall, which shattered. I looked in just as Elliott stood up and blocked the path to Walter who didn’t even flinch.

“This is all on him,” Dane said to Elliott who moved closer to him. “I’m not going to hurt him, but we both know he doesn’t have any friends left after stealing from them.”

“I have plenty of friends,” Walter said indignantly.

“What’s the name of the friend that blackmailed you?” Elliott asked.

“This isn’t the place to give names,” Walter huffed. “I’ll give the name when my lawyer is present. I don’t have the answers to what happened to Angel. Can’t you see I had to stay quiet because I was being blackmailed?”

“You keep saying that. We only have your word, and you’re no victim,” Dane retorted. “Even if you are telling the truth, you used Angel and tried to hide her when she became pregnant. You didn’t tell anyone to keep yourself out of jail because you were a member of The Agency. You’re just as guilty as whoever held her.”

“I’m not a member, I considered joining, but I decided against it. I thought we could discuss this situation like adults, but you’re still a kid, Dane,” Walter growled at him. “I’m leaving.”

“A couple more questions,” Elliott said quickly. “What do you know about The Agency?”

“Only what was on the news. I wasn’t a member,” Walter snipped at Elliott. “I love and care a lot about Angel and Melinda. I’m happy that they’re safe. I only told you because the test results were coming, and Angel said she would tell you tonight.”

I grimaced. He was lying. I pushed opened the door and crossed over to stand between the couches where most of them were sitting. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I overheard Walter say more about his involvement with Angel in the bathroom at the hotel during the event. He talked about sharing her with his friends. He knew where she was and begged her to stop the DNA test. I planned to tell you, Dane. I’m sorry.”

They all turned toward me, including Walter, who now glared at me. He next looked questioningly to Angel who nodded.

“Yes, I saw her when I went to the bathroom,” she admitted. “Gia was in there.”

“Even if she was there, I said no such thing,” Walter said heatedly. “Gia’s upset because when I ran into her ten days ago at Bryant Park, I told her to stay away from my son.”

---